Method of splicing strands into braided line



0M1, 1939. 7 L. J. MADDEN ETAL 2,177,777

METHOD OF SPLICING STRANDS INTO BRAIDED LINE Filed Dec. 23, 1938 .M I I INZENTORS,

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 31, 1939 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF SPLICING STRANDS INTO BRAIDED LINE Louis J. Madden, Syracuse, and Floyd Truman,

Cortland, N. Y., assignors to Newton Line Company, Inc., Homer, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 23, 1938, Serial No. 247,318 4 Claims. .(CL 96-25) strands are being braided in, and the new strand drawn under tension into the center or core of the line, and then the old strand interlaced with or hitched over the new strand or any one of the other strands being braided While the old strand is drawn under tension into the center or core of the line and the new strand'is being braided into the line, so that the new strand is secured at its advance end to the old strand or any other strand and the old strand is secured at its tail end to the new strand or to any of the other strands, and the portions of each old and new strand between the hitches therein located in the center or core of the line, this resulting in a minimum of or no bulges in the line and no slack in the spliced threads'at the splice. Also, the splice is at least as strong as the unspliced portions of strands and is invisible and practically undetectable in the finished line.

The line is braided in well-known braiding machines in which carriers supporting the bobbinscontaining the threads or strands, travel in closed serpentine paths around a ring through which the strands pass. The serpentine paths intersect and a number of the carriages for the bobbins travel along one path in one direction and an equal number of carriages for the bobbins travel in the oppositFdirection, the sets of carriages being so located in their paths as not to interfere with each other at the intersections. of the paths. As the operation of braiding machines is very old and well known, description thereof is thought to 44) be unnecessary.

In describing the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which is a developed diagrammatic view of the splicing operation.

45 The method. consists in hitching the new strand over any one of the other strands of the line or over, the old strand that is running out, during the braiding operationwhile the new'strand is being drawn under tension into the center of the line, whereby the loop or hitch is braided and interlaced into thevline with the strand around which it is looped, and the portions of the new strand adjacent each hitch are located at the center or core of the line, and then looping or hitching the old strand over any one 01 the other strands of the line or over the new strand while the old strand is being drawn under tension into the center or core of the line, and the new and other strands are being braided into the line, whereby each hitch or loop of the old strand is interlaced with the new strand or one of the other strands into the line, and the portions of the old strand adjacent each hitch or loop lie and are taut at the center or core of the line. The extreme end of. the new strand is first caught into the line during the braiding operation by inserting it through the braiding ring and taking hold of the extreme end so that it projects out of the braided line.

In the drawing, the new strand is shown as I looped over the old outgoing strand and the old outgoing strand as looped over the. new strand.

I designates a braided cord, as a fishing line, it being shown on a greatly enlarged scale. 2, shown in broken lines, designates the portion of the line after the splice is made." 3 designates an old strand that is running out or exhausting, that is, its bobbin is becoming empty. 4 designates a new strand to be spliced to the running out strand. 3. 5 designates the other strands that are being braided into the cord l.

6 designates the eye or braiding ring located above and coaxially with the axial line about which the serpentine'paths of the braiding machine extend. The strands or threads to be braided pass from the bobbins through the ring when the bobbins are moving in the serpentine paths. When a bobbin is running out or exhausting, the operator takes the end of the thread or strand on the new bobbin, which he holds inhis hand and passes the end through the eye 6, so that the end is caught in the line during the braiding operation, and the extreme advance end of the newstrand projects out of the braided line, as at I. The operator then places the new bobbin at the center of the serpentine paths beneath the braiding ring with a suitable weight to apply tension to the line being drawn from the new bobbin, and again starts the machine in the braiding operation, so that the new strand is now drawn under tension into the center of the braided line at 8. The operator then stops the machine and loops or hitches thenew strand, over the old strand forming a loop or hitch at 9. He does this by lifting the new bobbin from the center of the serpentine paths out of and around the running out strand, the bobbin of which is in braiding position and placing it back in the center of the end paths. The operator then puts themachine through, preferably one, braiding cycle, and during this operation, a portion of the new strand again is drawn under tension, as at IU, into the core or center of the line I, and the hitch or loop 9 is interlaced with or braided into the line with the old strand. Preferably another similar hitch II and another braiding operation is performed which causes the new strand to again be drawn into the center of the line at I2.

Then the bobbin of the old running out strand is removed from its spindle, and the bobbin containing the new strand placed on that spindle, and the old strand located so as to be drawn under tension into the center or core of the line, and the machine started for another brading operation, causing the old exhausting strand to be drawn into the center of the line I at l3. Then the running out strand, which is now being drawn into the center of the line I, is hitched over the new strand, as at [4, which is now in braiding position, and the machine started in another braiding operation, causing the old strand to again be drawn into the center or core of the line I as at l5, and the loop or hitch M to be braided into the line with the new strand, and preferably another hitch l6, similar to the hitch it, taken, a braiding operation performed and the old strand 3 cut off close to the strand 4. It will be understood that these hitching operations take place below the braiding ring 6 and also that during the braiding operation, the hitches 9, II, M, I 6 are carried around into the line with the strands during the braiding operation. Hence, in the drawing, although the old strands 3, 4 for the purpose of facilitating this explanation, are shown as straight with the exception of the hitches, they are, in reality, braided, and the hitches follow with them during the braiding operation. It will also be understood that both the old and new strands are under tension. When the bobbin that is running out is placed in the central position, usually instead of placing the running out bobbin in line with the braiding ring 6, the strand on the old bobbin is cut oil to leave about six or seven inches extending below the braiding ring 6 and a weight is attached thereto. It will be also understood that the new bobbin when placed axially below the braiding ring has a weight applied to the strand leaving the same.

After the line is completed, it is stretched by grasping it at points along its length with one hand and stretching it with the other hand allowing the line to slip through the latter hand during the stretching operation, and then the projecting ends 1 of the splices are snipped ofi close to the line I.

By this method, the new strand is secured at its advance end to the old strand or any one of the other strands while that strand is being braided into the line, but the portions of the new strand adjacent the point or points of securement to the old or other strands are located at the center or core of the line; and the tail portion of the old strand is secured to the new strand or any other strand, while that strand is being braided I into the line and the portions of the old strand adjacent the point or points of securement are located in the center or core of the line.

By this method, a splice is produced that does not bulge, or project, or work, out of the line, because there is noslack or loose ends in either of the strands spliced togethe What we claim is:

. ,1. The method of splicing strands into braided line consisting in looping or hitching a newstrand are braided with the old strand into the line, and

the portions adjacent the hitch or loop are located at the center of the line, and then looping the old strand over the new strand while the old strand is being drawn into the center of the line during the braiding operation and the new strand is being braided into the line, whereby each hitch or loop in the old strand is braided into the line with the new strand and the portions of the old strand adjacent each hitch or loop are located at the center of the line.

2. The method of splicing strands into braided lines during the braiding operation, consisting in permitting the new strand to be drawn into the line at the center thereof during the braiding operation, hitching or looping the new strand over a second strand that is running out one or more times with a braiding operation between the hitches and permitting the new strand to continue to feed into the center of the line, while being braided, then displacing the second strand from braiding position and placing it,where it is drawn into the center of the line and placing the new strand in braiding position, whereby the second strand feeds into the center of the line, while the new strand is now being braided into the line, hitching the old strand over the new strand one or more times with braiding operations between the hitches, so that the hitched portions of the second strand are braided into the line with the new strand and finally cutting ofi the old strand close to the new strand, all whereby the new strand is hitched at its advance end to the exhausting strand being braided into the line, and the tail portion of the exhausting strand is hitched over the new strand, while the new strand is being braided into the line with the portions of each strand between the hitches therein located in the center of the line.

3. The method of splicing strands into braided lines consisting in looping or hitching a new strand over the old strand on the bobbin that is exhausting or over one of the other strands being braided into the line while the new strand is being drawn into the center of the line during the braiding operation, whereby the hitches or loops are braided into the line, and the portions adjacent the hitches or loops are located at the center of the line, and then looping the old strand that is exhausting over the new strand or one of the other strands while the old strand is being drawn into the center of the line during the braiding operation, and the new strand and the other strands are being braided into the line, whereby each hitch or loop in the old strand is braided into the line with the strand over which it is looped, and the portions of the old strand adjacent each hitch or loop are located at the center of the line.

4. The method of splicing strands into braided lines during the braiding operation consisting in permitting the new strand to be drawn into the ing position, whereby'the old strand feeds into the center of the line while the new strand is now being braided into the line, hitching the old strand over any one of the other strands one or more times with braiding operations between the hitches, so that the hitched portions of the old strand are braided into the line with the strand around which it is hitched, and finally cutting of! the old strand close to the strand around which It is looped, aii whereby the new strand is hitched at its. advance end and the tail portion of the exhausting strand is hitched at its extreme outer end to one of the strands being braided into the line with the portions of each strand between the hitches therein located at the center of the line.

LOUIS J. MADDEN. FLOYD TRUMAN. 

